Deciding between 2 hotels in Sydney

My wife and I will be spending 10 days in Sydney in March 2018. We have been looking at two hotels, the Amora Jamison Hotel in the CBD and the Cambridge Sydney Hotel in Surry Hills. Although there is a price difference between the two our concern is the convenience of sightseeing Sydney from these two locations. I have some walking issues and getting around is a concern. Would public transportation solve any location differences? Thanks for your opinions.

There are a number of city-bound buses that will head along Crown Street, Riley Street, and of course the main street through the area (Oxford Street). It's certainly a more interesting area than King Street in the CBD - and quite easy from there to get to Central Station, Kings Cross, and Bondi Beach.

The only really tourist-oriented sight deep in the CBD are the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, and The Rocks (all doable in just one day), and the ferries (where your buses will terminate in any case).

And if you catch a bus down Elizabeth Street or Macquarie Street, you can visit the gallery, the library, and the beautiful parklands there (The Domain).

You might be able these days to buy an integrated rail-bus-ferry city-pass - it will take a bit of research. For many years it was hopeless, but I understand it's been resolved.

It is kind of a mixed bag for you and especially so because Sydney does have some rising ground to walk, for if you imagine any city with a harbour and rising ground away from the harbour, that is Sydney, a bit of rising though not overly steep ground if you are liking to walk your way around a bit.

If you have had a look at a map of where the Amora is - https://www.amorahotels.com/hotels/amora-hotel-jamison-sydney - over to the left on that map, past the Western Distributor ( bit of a blight on the landscape for Sydney ) you have Darling Harbour and then down town to Circular Quay, city terminal for ferries, you again have the water, the whole CBD and some of the surrounding terrain being on kind of a promontary where the land rises up to something of a plateau in the direction of Surry Hills, though in walking up to the Kings Cross area it is still a rising ground walk.

The other thing that you really ought to consider is that central Sydney develops its own micro climate with so many taller buildings so along with expressways etc., a lot of concrete to absorb and radiate heat, the CBD also just enough away from the ocean that you can miss any sea breezes that may be about, something that would be very welcome in March and then all those buildings can mean it does not always get to where you are or you might find a wind being channelled between buildings becomes very strong.
I have been there in winter months and still found walking about worked up something of a sweat.
Being there in March could be a real killer of enjoyment in doing too much walking.

There are a lot of bus services that crisscross the CBD on different routes, some being Express and others doing stops, but have a look at the Transport web site - it an Opal card that you will want to consider https://www.sydneycloseup.com/opal-card/ - You will also find via https://transportnsw.info/tickets-opal/opal/about-opal/visitor-tickets there is a planner aid.

You would be better served by buses going into the city from the nearest route to the Cambridge, ( there looking to be a service on Hunt St. though likely to be many more and thus more frequent buses going along Oxford Street ) than what you may from the AJ though AJ will be closer by foot to a few places like Darling Harbour and the Rocks/Circular Quay.

being that it is March that you are going to be there, I reckon you might appreciate being at somewhere like Manly where there is plenty of great accommodation, some of it on the Ocean side, a great promenade there along the sea front and a level walk through to the Harbour side via the Corso and from there you can take one of Sydney's best trips - the ferry across to Circular Quay - best way to see Sydney Harbour and much of Sydney from the water - it all very peaceful and over in Manly you can get the benefit of the sea breezes.

From Circular Quay, you can either take trains to Central Station and on to wherever you may want to go and also many buses go via Circular Quay, even to just get uptown a bit and you have The Rocks area on one side of Circular Quay and the Opera House and Botanical gardens in the opposite direction, walking around the level harbourside walk.

It would cetainly be my pick of a location to stay in any time and not just during warmer months - be best by a mile.

You will not be required to do more walking staying at the Cambridge ... buses are frequent, and with ten days, presumably you will take one or more day-trips out of the city by train. The Blue Mountains, Hunter Valley Wineries, and the Illawarra Coast just south, are all excellent.

A day-trip to Manly by ferry, and if you like exploring, taking a long bus-ride from there to Palm Beach, is all outstanding in pleasant weather. However unless you are really dedicated to sun, surf, and sand, I wouldn't stay out at Manly for your time ... it's just too far for easy exploring.

Another excellent day is a ferry to Watson's Bay for lunch, then the bus around to Bondi Beach - it really is a great day. Getting back from Bondi by bus takes you practically past the Cambridge.

What you do in and about Sydney tt can certainly be affected by how warm it may be and just what walking is to be involved.
If you are coming direct from Canada and there has been a chilly winter, Sydney heat will hit you like a brick, especially within the confines of the heat sink CBD.
I suggested Manly because of the level walking and that you will just not have to rely on hotels/premises air conditioning for comfort and it will be far more pleasant in the evenings, we still having daylight saving in March and so it will not be dark until about 8 pm. so the opportunity will exist at Manly for a much more pleasant evening stroll.

You certainly do not have to be dedicated to sun, surf and sand to enjoy Manly but it does have one of the more magnificent ocean side environments on the planet - there are a lot of water photographs on the following site but do have a look through and you will get the picture - https://www.gusha.com.au/collections/manly-beach - it kind of a Sydney doorstep ocean holiday location with a more natural environment than Bondi.

Leaving from Manly for the CBD by ferry is going to be akin to battling exhaust fumes to jump on a bus, a slightly longer trip to get to more railway.bus options but so immensely enjoyable.
It is not #1 for things to do in Sydney for no reason - https://www.sydney100.com/top-5-things-to-do-in-sydney/

Compared to all the other capital cities in Australia, Sydney has a fairly mild summer / winter climate, and it would be unusual for it to be too hot for you.

In fact March (late summer / start of autumn) is one of the best times to visit the city. Temperatures should be in the 22°-27° range, with humidity probable ... all pretty nice.

There is nothing wrong with Manly Beach and nearby coves (although the actual shopping precinct lacks a lot of class) - great for a day visit, but not a good spot for a ten-day booking, in my view.

tt, the number of hotels and other accommodation in Manly is testimony to the number of people who find it very favourable in many respects.

Whilst average temperatures can say one thing, obviously to have an average you have highs and lows and if anything Australian temperature records would indicate that we are having increasingly warm summers. It also depends on where an average is measured.

What I am attempting to stress to you is that the Sydney CBD is a huge heat sink and an average air temperature measured somewhere like an airport can be a good 5 degrees less than what you can suffer in the CBD and close proximity areas, that being my experience and not from reading averages.
On my first and subsequent visits to Sydney, it is also often quite muggy, possibly because of the harbour but blockage of sea breezes.

Anyway, we are here to just tell you how it is and it is you that know best about what sort of weather you will enjoy and you can choose what you like, a sea side area or a hotel stuck amidst many other commercial high rises.

There are no good reasons to spend a great deal of time in the CBD, and there is no need for anyone from Canada (or anywhere) to stress about the weather, or any other issue. Sydney weather is essentially perfect.

Note to the OP: Sydney is not about its CBD - it is its harbour, beaches, coves, and parks. There is no need to have any concerns about the March weather ... the likelihood is that it will be excellent.

Manly is way too far for a ten-day stint ... but I expect you already know that. The Cambridge is fine.

I would stay at the Amora or one of the other good hotels close to Wynard Station or Circular Quay Station, that gives good access for touring, do visit Manly by Ferry , go on the hovercraft and come back on the Ferry, if its a sunny day a visit to the observation deck in the city shows just how big Sydney is, and try to look out the plane window as you fly in, its one of the best views in the world.

I would disagree pretty-much with all of that ... Wynyard and Kings Street are some of the least pleasant parts of the city ... especially for ten days - you will go nuts there, so avoid it.

And the irony is, being just off Oxford Street makes you closer to most of the things that make Sydney interesting. The ferries are good for a quick shallow experience, but that's all.

And I've already advised that buses from the Cambridge to Circular Quay are frequent and quite fast.

tt, I just say that you are best placed to make up your own mind and despite assertions about the weather, expect it to be quite muggy within the cbd, far more unpleasant than what it will be closer to the coast.

It is a hotel that you are basing yourself in whist doing whatever you want to but if it was I, I would much prefer pleasant surrounds to be out and about rather than be stuck in a very city environment each afternoon/evening when you have finished your days activities.
That seems to be lost in the thoughts of others.

Whilst there are so many things to do about Sydney, closer in and further afield, you can do all of that with ease starting from Manly and having a wonderful view of the city, it not #1 for no reason as I have said and to start describing it as shallow is a bit ridiculous because afterall, though a wonderful aspect of Sydney, it is an aspect you can enjoy in getting to Circular Quay, the railway lines and buses with no hills involved to start a days activities and then know you can enjoy it in reverse on your return each day.

The CBD is too hot and stuffy, Manly is too far and far too tacky ... which means that Surry Hills looks like Goldilocks, and therefore just about right ... what I would do.

I am quite sure tt that you will be able to decide based on reasonable advice and not comments that you may well wonder about why they have been made.

#12, I guess what you are trying to say is that opinions will vary. The sooner you all accept that and move on, the better.

Quite true Westy and fr the sake of OPs we should remain positive rather than address negatives very negatively.

Just as you say for Melbourne, use of search engines like Wotif or Trivago can mean finding some good deals wherever tt chooses.

Forgot about Trivago. Have used it twice recently to book a couple of hotels in Kuala Lumpur, both going through to booking.com. Big discounts as well.

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